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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2022)
Salem, continued from previous page Here is a list of classes/activities we have held to meet those needs during 2021 and 2022: • • • • • • • • • Moccasin making instruction Medicine bags Flat peyote-beaded pens Freezer jam Drum making Shawl making Shell necklaces Bear grass weaving Holiday events included beaded Christmas ornaments, Native-style stars, and bone and bead snowflakes This year we have completed peyote and flat stitch projects. We are planning for the rest of the year and hope to include a jam making class, basic crochet, dream catchers, ornament drum painting, leather/ beaded gift pouches and a basic sewing skills group to acquaint people with using a sewing machine. Covid has not been a pleasant time, but Salem office staff truly are champions when it comes to being responders and forward thinkers. Staff teamed up with the Elders Program to divide the entire service area into equal sections and each staff person “masked up” and went out to deliver elder packages to every elder residence in our service area. Portland Area Office Greetings, fellow Siletz Tribal members and community! office. All improvements have been made with the safety of everyone in mind. As we move into the summer of 2022, we want to an update about the happenings at the Portland Area Office (PAO). The Tribe has installed a perimeter fence around the Portland Area Office. Taking into account rising crime rates throughout the Portland Tribal service area, we’ve taken these measures to ensure your safety when visiting in the future. Undoubtedly 2021 was another rough year for many if not all of us. As we move further into this year, we remain optimistic about the remainder of 2022 and what it will bring. Being a Tribal office in Phase 2 has meant that we are still closed to in-person visits and large gatherings. We want you to know, however, that we too miss visiting, meeting and having regular contact with you like we did before Covid. We are happy to say we’re still here, serving Tribal members as always. We continue to prepare for that future date when we can open our doors again In 2021 we were busy making improvements to the area office that included a front door intercom/ doorbell, a temperature reading station and many hand sanitizing stations throughout the We also resumed our three-part com- munity craft series, taking place in May through July. Each month we send out at- home beaded necklace kits by mail with some pretty awesome color schemes for folks to work with. We anticipate more participation in the series as time goes on. As always, programs are still available in the office, such as Education, Self- Sufficiency, Alcohol/Drug and Behav- ioral Health counseling, and Community Health services. Our programs and their components are the same as those at the Eugene and Salem area offices, complete with exceptional staff available to provide those services to you. Looking back on 2021 In August, we hosted our first drive- through salmon distribution. All Tribal members who showed up that day were served salmon and cooling kits. From October through December, we had a lot of participation in our adult culture craft series by mail. The series included a dream catcher kit, pine needle basket kit and beaded necklace kit. In December, we hosted our first remote holiday event called Santa’s Rein- deer Games, which included prizes, small gifts, activities and games with grand prizes for any Siletz household that signed up in advance. The event was well-received by those who participated. We are pleased so many folks enjoyed it! We at the Portland Area Office are here to serve. We will continue to serve and to provide activities and programs. We will have more changes and updates for you in the very near future! In closing, we hope that 2022 brings you health and safety, and look forward to when we can all gather in person again. Until then! Warm regards, Portland Area Office Team Staff donated material and along with stretchy cord donated by Chinook Winds made more than 200 masks and mailed them out to those in need. Since elder volunteers had canvased the Salem area and provided many of them with masks, the SAO teamed up with the Eugene area supervisor and mailed masks to elders and at-risk Tribal members in the Eugene area. Salem became a drop-off and pick- up station for other areas. Staff received packages, sanitized them and kept track of contamination times before forwarding to be opened and used safely. During the canyon fires, the Salem staff was involved in assisting Tribal members who either lost their homes or were displaced. We gathered bear grass and cattail and dried, sorted and packaged it for weaving kits to send to interested Tribal members. June 2022 • Siletz News • 9
